Oren Burks is a name that's starting to emerge in recruiting circles and the junior athlete from Virginia has a ton of upside. Boston College is just one of the schools showing interest in the versatile, high-flying threat.

At 6-foot-4 and 185-pounds, Burks already has a big size advantage against a lot of players but that doesn't even begin to explain the edge his has on the field.

Burks is one of the best leapers in the state of Virginia. Couple that with his size and he's a potential match up nightmare in college.

"I think he's probably going to play safety (in college)," said Orlanda Burks, the prospect's father. "I think he could do very well at receiver. They just didn't use that expertise this year. Next year he will probably be playing both ways, at receiver and another position.

"They're pretty much losing most of their defense so I don't know where they're going to put him. He can't play it all by himself so we'll see what other people can play and they'll probably move him around.

"I could see him at receiver. He has one of the highest vertical leaps probably in the region. We were at (Virginia) Tech and they actually measured him jumping up, calculating how long it takes for you to get back down. He did quite well in the vertical leap."

Burks isn't thinking ahead to next year just yet. That's because Lorton (Va.) South County will be playing for a state championship this weekend.

Boston College has seen some of Burks' highlights and the coaches like his ability.

"We've been in contact with Boston College via e-mail," his father continued. "There have been a lot of e-mails going back and forth with a couple of coaches from Boston College.

"They were asking us to come visit and we're trying to fit that in. I also have a daughter that's being highly recruited (for softball) so it's rough."

When asked whether BC is a school that his son will take seriously the elder Burks responded, "Definitely, yes sir."

Michigan State, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Temple are some of the other schools that will be evaluating him going forward.

Could location be something that works in the favor of some of the schools closer to home?

"It might be a factor, especially if it's staying east of the Mississippi," his father said. "But when schools come in it might change a little bit. That definitely happened with my daughter. As the picture got bigger her eyes got a little bigger."

Burks has really asserted himself as a big-time prospect this season and his father says he's around the ball with regularity. As the level of competition South County has faced has increased, Burks has been up for the challenge.

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